Big rally helps Kahuku roll Konawaena

Kahuku didn’t let a slow start get in the way of an eventual 72-40 bulldozing of Konawaena on Wednesday in the Division I quarterfinals of the OC 16 / Hawaii High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball State Tournament.

The Red Raiders (10-6) spotted the Wildcats (11-4) a 22-15 lead at the Moanalua gym, but went on a tide-turning 16-0 run for a 31-22 edge early in the third. It was all Kahuku from there.

“It’s the state-tournament nerves,” Kahuku coach Brandyn Akana said about the sloppy start. “I think we came out and tried to do a little too much. Our guys were excited. We settled down after a while and we were able to play our game. I think we’re getting better and better. It sure is good that we put it together.”

With the winning effort, the Red Raiders advance to play second-seeded Kalaheo (12-2) — the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion and the No. 2 team in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10 — in tonight’s quarterfinals.

“We took them lightly and thought we could handle them inside,” said Kahuku forward Hirkley Latu, who finished with a game-high 17 points after some early jitters. “We really had to buckle down as a team. We went to the locker room and Coach Brandyn gave us the halftime speech and we came out with more of a chip on our shoulder.”

Latu, Bradlee Anae and Taimona Wright powered the Red Raiders’ inside game, which will be tested big-time against the defending D-I state champion Mustangs tonight.

“No one feels like we’re going to win this game, so that gives us more energy to prove that we can play with all these good basketball players (at Kalaheo),” Latu said.

Akana said Latu will be responsible for Kahuku being prepared at tip-off this time around.

“Bradley and Hirk are our senior leaders and thank God they’re done with their football recruiting trips,” Akana said. “They’re the ones who will get everybody riled up and get them going.”

Wright’s two rebound buckets started that 16-0 run that put the Wildcats on their heels. The Akina boys — Keanu and Kawika — each hit a 3-pointer in the surge. Keanu Akana finished with 13 points and Kawika had 11. Wright wound up with five rebounds, and as a team, the Red Raiders outrebounded Konawaena 34-28.

“We didn’t use our speed,” said Konawaena’s Austin Aukai, who scored a team-high 11 points. “In transition, we didn’t get back and that really killed us. We were too comfortable with the lead.”

Austin Ewing added nine points and five rebounds for the visitors from the Big Island.

“We just have to get tougher,” Wildcats coach Donald Awa said. “Games are a little more physical over here and we knew that coming in. It’s always been that way and I actually like the way the refs call it over here; I prefer less whistles, but I don’t think we were ready for it. I didn’t see the intensity I was looking for. We lack a leader, someone who is going to get in their faces and say, ‘Come on, let’s go.’ Coming in, I thought we could match them basketball-wise and that it would come down to who would be willing to bang a little more.”

Punahou 51, Leilehua 47, OT

The Buffanblu broke a 45-all tie with a minute left in overtime on Akahi Troske’s rebound bucket. Chris Kobayashi finished off the scoring for Punahou with a steal and layup and two free throws.

The Buffanblu (10-6) will play third-seeded Lahainaluna, the Maui Interscholastic Association champ, in the quarterfinals tonight. Liam Fitzgerald’s 3-pointer for the Mules (11-3) with nine seconds to go in regulation sent the game to overtime.

PREP SUMMARIES

Kahuku 72, Konawaena 40

KAHUKU—Codie Sauvao 5, Kieran Spencer 4, Keanu Akina 13, Hirkley Latu 17, Bradlee Anae 6, Kenny Spencer 2, Mark Viloria 5, Kawika Akina 11, Aaron Souza 2, Taimona Wright 4, Alapa Stennett 3.

KONAWAENA—Austin Ewing 9, Maitland Akau 7, Austin Aukai 11, Reyson Ching 4, Kelson Cacoulidis 4, Naea-Kaiya Leleiwi 0, Kupono Kane 0, Kaanoi Kelekolio-Rivera 3, Makoa Yoshida 0, Ethan Awa 0, Ryan Malone 2, Seau Amor 0.

3-point goals—Kahuku 7 (Ka. Akina 2, Ke. Akina 3, Latu, Sauvao). Konawaena 2 (Aukai, Ewing).

Punahou 51, Leilehua 47, OT

LEILEHUA—Trey Boatwright 0, Linus Asher 2, Joseph Gouty 19, Keion Anderson 0, Jostin Gampayon 3, Liam Fitzgerald 11, Nicholas Duran 6, Koalii Kauhi 4, Christian Alvarez 0, Anterrio Gainwell Jr. 2.

PUNAHOU—Cole Arceneaux 5, Zayne Chong 11, Hunter Hosoda 3, Kyle Yoshino 0, Hunter Lee 3, Christopher Kobayashi 7, ‘Akahi Troske 11, Cole Mausolf 2, Kaulana Makaula 0, Jack-Eli Tufono 4, Jared Lum 5, Les Falatea 0, Duke Clemens 0.

3-point goals—Leilehua 4 (Gouty 2, Fitzgerald, Gampayon). Punahou 8 (Chong 3, Arceneaux, Hosada, Kobayashi, Lee, Lum).

Baldwin 43, McKinley 40

MCKINLEY—Joshua Kanazawa 0, Kevin Nagasawa 0, Gladwyn Balinbin 0, Isaac Lu 0, Jeremy Coloyan 9, Dan Villejo 7, Ray Jay John 0, Huthifa Abdel Jawad 16, Kyle Moraga 8.

BALDWIN—Conor Kurosaki 6, Jacob Fernandez Ruiz 0, Nathan Barcoma 0, Warren Feike 4, Braydon-Mitchell Kaiama 7, Jonovan-Taje Akaka 12, Kyle Felix 1, Chayse Akaka 13.

3-point goals—McKinley 4 (Moraga 2, Abdel Jawad, Villejo). Baldwin 1 (Kaiama).

Kaiser 41, Kailua 35

KAILUA—Noah Ah Yat 0, Everett Torres-Kahapea 11, Zachary Marrotte 8, Keoni Serikawa Jr. 0, Noah Auld 0, Hano Kohatsu 2, Christian Mejia 14, Jonah Kalai 0.

KAISER—Keoua Mahiko 7, Jalen Pinks 7, Kamu Scheer 2, Isaiah Lundell 0, Isaiah Akiona 5, Nic Tom 0, Michael Miske 2, Chance Kalaugher 18.

3-point goals—Kailua 4 (Torres-Kahapea 3, Marrotte). Kaiser 6 (Kalaugher 2, Pinks 2, Akiona, Mahiko).

DIVISION I

Today

at Mckinley quarterfinals

Waiakea vs. Kaiser, 5 p.m.

‘Iolani vs. Baldwin, 7 p.m.

at Moanalua quarterfinals

Lahainaluna vs. Punahou, 5 p.m.

Kalaheo vs. Kahuku, 7 p.m.

DIVISION II

Today

at Kaimuki Quarterfinals

Seabury vs. St. Joseph, 5 p.m.

Kalani vs. St. Francis, 7 p.m.

at Farrington Quarterfinals

University vs. Kapaa, 5 p.m.

Honokaa vs. Roosevelt, 7 p.m.